WASHINGTON, DC –Physician Hospitals of America (PHA) applauds Senator James Lankford (R-OK) for introducing important legislation that will improve patient access to physician-led hospitals. The Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2017 would repeal the ban on physician-owned hospitals enacted in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act. This important bill – a companion to H.R. 1156 introduced by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) in the U.S. House of Representatives – lifts restrictions on the formation and expansion of these high-quality, low-cost facilities. “We applaud Senator Lankford for supporting high quality, more affordable care options for Medicare and Medicaid patients. Once enacted, this bill will improve patient access, increase quality and competition, and lower the cost of care,” stated Dr. Blake Curd, President of Physician Hospitals of America.

Dr. Curd added, “Medicare and Medicaid patients deserve access to physician-owned hospitals because we are among the highest quality performers in the nation,” based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding overall quality, value-based purchasing (VBP), and readmissions.

The Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program administered by CMS rewards hospitals for high quality of care and patient satisfaction. In FY 2017, 7 of the top 10 hospitals with the highest overall performance in the program were physician-owned. In fact, 40 of the top 100 performing hospitals in the CMS VBP program in FY 2017 are physician-owned, even though they represent only 5% of participating hospitals. Physician-owned hospitals also result in significant savings for Medicare. An analysis of CMS payment data demonstrated that physician-owned hospitals save Medicare $3.2 billion over a ten-year period.

Physician Hospitals of America is joined in its support for Senator Lankford’s legislation by dozens of other leading national and state healthcare organizations. The following is a list of stakeholders who recently co-signed a letter of support for this important legislation:

American Academy of Otolaryngology

American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives

American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons

American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons

American Association of Neurological Surgeons

American Association for Hand Surgery

American College of Cardiology

American College of Surgeons

American Medical Association

American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society

American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine

American Osteopathic Association

American Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons

American Society for Surgery of the Hand

Arthroscopy Association of North America

Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Musculoskeletal Tumor Society

National Association of Spine Specialists

OrthoForum

Scoliosis Research Society

Rothman Institute

Premier Orthopedics

Peachtree Orthopedics

Ortho Georgia

Signature Medical Group

Connecticut Orthopaedic Society

Colorado Orthopaedic Society

Delaware Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Idaho Medical Association

Illinois State Medical Society

Indiana Orthopaedic Society

Iowa Orthopaedic Society

Kansas Orthopaedic Society

Minnesota Orthopaedic Society

Missouri State Medical Association

Medical Association of Georgia

Medical Society of Virginia

Maryland Orthopaedic Association

Maryland State Medical Society

Massachusetts Orthopaedic Society

Nebraska Medical Association

New Jersey Orthopaedic Society

New Mexico Medical Society

Ohio Orthopaedic Society

Orthopaedic Society of Oklahoma

South Dakota State Orthopaedic Society

Tennessee Medical Association

Texas Medical Association

Texas Orthopaedic Association

Utah State Orthopaedic Society

Washington State Orthopaedic Association

Wyoming Medical Association

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Physician Hospitals of America, or PHA, offers support, advocacy and educational services to the physician owned hospital industry, reflecting at all times the best interests of the patients, physicians, and other providers who play an inextricable and essential role in the provision of healthcare services.